Ore-separator.



No. 660,342. Patented'flct. 23, I900.

J. P. SMITH.

ORE SEPABATQR.

l'catlon filed Jan 2 19001 pp) (NoM'odeL) I 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

v Patented Oct. 23, I900. J. P. SMITH.

ORE SEPABATOB.

(Application filed Jan. 2, 1900.)

(No Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

m .w w

PEYERS co. wovou'ma. WASHINGTON. b. c.

. Patented Oct. 23, I900. J. P. SMITH.

DRE SEPARATUB.

(Application filed Jam. 2, 1900.)

(No Model.)

Attorney UNrTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JONATHAN P. SMITH, OF DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ALEXANDER H. B. HARENO AND JOHN A. LEHRRITTER, OF SALIDA,

COLORADO.

ORE-SEPARATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 660,342, dated October 23, 1 900.

Application filed January 2, 1900. Serial No. 60- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, JONATHAN P. SMITH, citizen of the United States,residing in the city of Denver, county of Arapahoe, State of 0010- 5 rado, have invented an Improvement in Ore- Separators; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to an apparatus which is designed for the separation of ores from their gangue and from other associated material as well as from each other.

It consists, essentially, of transversely-inclined shaking-tables having longitudinallydisposed guides, the ends of which lie in diagonal lines from one side to the other of the table, slime-conveyers, and one or more movable hinged fingers at the end of the table opposite the receiving-point. In connection with these tables is a return-conveyer which receives the pulp from the first table and has a movement independent of that of the tables. In conjunction with these tables is a mechanism for producing a shaking movement.

The invention also comprises details of construction, which will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure 1 is a perspective view. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section through 00 0c of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a plan of the actuating mechanism. Fig. 4 is a partial longitudinal section of the central part of thereturn-conveyor. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the reciprocating mechanism. Fig. 6 is a detail showing the rack-bar 45 and its pinions and the eccentrics for raising the ends of the table.

The object of this invention is to separate ores from their gangue and from each other. Ores frequently carry lead,-sulfid of copper, iron pyrites, and zinc, and often chlorids and various other substances,and this ore and material it is the object of my invention to separate each into an individual class according to its specific weight.

The material to be treated is transferred from any usual or ordinary table or source of supply and delivered upon my apparatus, in which I am enabled to separate the varitermination.

ous substances by difierence in their specific gravity.

As shown 'in the drawings, A is the point on the upper table at which the pulp or concentrates are received either from other tables or from any other source of supply. The upper longitudinal edge of the table is approximately horizontal, and the table inclines from this side to the opposite one. Diagonally across the table and extending from the receiving-point to a point near the center of opposite side is the slime-conveyer 3. This consists of a shallow trough or excavation made in the surface of the table, having an elevated rail or bar 31 extending along its lower side and a fine wire-cloth screen extending from the upper edge of this rail to the surface of the table at the opposite side of the trough, so as to cover the channel or trough, and thus prevent the coarse material from entering this conveyor. Other forms may be used, the object being to collect and. convey the sliines to a point of discharge. From the edge of the slime-conveyor guides 2 extend ap proximately parallel with each other in the line of the length of the table. These guides arehere shown of essentially the same length; but by reason of their commencing at the line of the diagonally-disposed slime-conveyer the outer ends of each guide extends beyond the preceding one, so that the ends of these guides terminate upon a diagonal line, which is here shown as being approximately parallel with the diagonal line of the slime-conveyer. These guides are made of any suitable depth, depending upon the character of the material to be operated upon. In the present case I have illustrated them as being about three-sixteenths of an inch deep at their commencement adjacent to the slimeconveyer and -tapering to a thin edge at their cific gravity is gradually moved from the receiving end toward the opposite end by a pcculiar longitudinally-shaking action of the table, which is produced as will be hereinafter more fully described. At the same time the transverse inclination of the table is such that the tendency of the material is to move lhe material which is 'deliv- I .ered upon the table having a different-spetoward the lower side. For this reason all connected to act upon the shaft, as will he the lighter material and slimes, so called, hereinafterdescribed. The cam 16 is mounted will pass over the guides and enter the slimeupon a shaft 14, suitably journaled upon the 7 3 con veyer, which conducts these slimes diagframe 13 and having pulleys 15, through onally across the table and delivers them at which power maybe transmitted to rotate it. the lower end of the conveyer upon what I The cam 16 is so constructed that as it recall a return-conveyer 6. This return volves it engages the end of the'shaft 17, and con veyer is divided into two portions, the one the latter, following the gradual inclineof the at the left receiving the material from the cam, forces the shaft forward, and with it the slime-conveyor and delivering it at the left table upon which itacts. When the cam has end through an opening, (shown at 11,) from passed the end of the shaft 17, the latter is which it passes upon the upper end of a secacted upon by a spring 19, one end of which 0nd table 32, which is similarly arranged to abuts against a disk or plate 20, and the other the first-named table and is subject to the endacts against the disk 18, which surrounds same shaking movement. The heavier mathe shaft 17 and which is adj ustable with reterial, which,as before stated, may have diflation to the disk 20 by means of screwferent specific gravities, is gradually moved threaded rods 21 and nuts 22. By this ar along the table by the shaking movement rangement the tension of the spring 19 and communicated thereto and the material of its consequent action upon the table will be different gravity will be separated as it passes regulated. Between the nuts 22 and the the outer ends of the guides 2, and will thus plate or disk 18 are rubber or other elastic pass diagonally across the table in as many buffers 7, which receive the disk 18 as it is divergent streams as there may be differences returned by the spring 19, and thus reduces of specific gravity. Thus the lead, sulfid of the jar and shock of the return movement, copper, iron pyrites, zinc, &c., will be sepawhich for this reason diifers essentially from rated from the slimes and also separated from the sharp b um ping movement of tables which each other by the action of this single table. are reciproca'ted and in which the return At the end of the table I have shown one movement is received by a solid bumper. or more arms or fingers 5, jointed or pivoted The shaft 17 passes through a sleeve 23. at the outer end and having their inner ends This sleeve is screw-threaded upon the outor points directed toward the guides. These side, and a hand-wheel 24 is turnable in a fingers are turnable on the pivot-points, their slot transversely of the frame and fits upon lower surfaces resting upon the table, and this sleeve. By turning thishand-wheel the too they may be fixed at any desired point by shaft and sleeve may be moved one way or clamping-screws, as 33, these points being the other, and through the disk 20, which is set to suit the character of the material arcarried with the sleeve, the length of the riving and the separation which may be destroke is regulated to suit the character of the sired. One portion of the material will pass material whichis being operated upon on the I05 to one side of the point and the other to the table without stopping the table. When this opposite. The portion passing below the adjustment has been satisfactorily reached, lowermost of these points will fall upon the the disk 24: is locked by a set-screw 25. right end of' the return-conveyer and, mov- 28 is a yoke which is secured to the end of ing along this conveyor, will be discharged the table, and through the outer end of this no through an opening in the bottom at a point yoke the shaft 17 is slidable. A spring 27 near the center and before the point is surrounds this shaft,one end abutting against reached where the slimes are discharged from the end of the yoke adjacent to the table and the left end of the upper table. The matethe other against a collar 26 on the shaft rial thus discharged from the central part of 17. Between this collar and the outer end I15 the conveyor is delivered upon the second taof the yoke is an elastic rubberor other bufble, the upper edge of which extends beneath fer 29. The spring 27 is somewhat stiifer the conveyer, and as it is subjected to the than the spring 19, and when the cam acts same shaking movement as the upper table to push the shaft 17 the spring 27 will yield a second and more complete separation is efslightly by reason of the inertia of the table, fected thereon. The remainder of the mateso that the movement of the latter will be rial passes over the end of the table with as commenced gently. The incline of the can] many separations by fingers 5 as may be deceases just before the offset is reached, and sired and is collected at this end. the end of the shaft 17, passing over this part,

Water is distributed upon the table during ceases to be advanced. During this shortinthe operation by means of adjustable perfoterval the spring 27 recovers itsextension, and rated pipes 34, which extend across above the when the cam releases the shaft the spring table, and a supply to which is controlled by 19 acts to give a soft quick return movement suitable cocks, as shown at 35. The moveto the table. This action of the two springs, ment of this table is produced by a reciproconsisting in the compression of spring 19 by 1 0 eating shaft 17, which is supported and slidthe direct action of the cam on shaft 17 and able longitudinally in guides upon a bed 13, the partial compression of the spring 27 by which is suitably fixed with relation to the rcasonof the inertia of the table, to which table, and by a cam and springs which are motion is communicated through this spring,

causes a slow forward movement of the table with the material to be separated upon it, and when the level part of thecam reaches the end of the shaft 17 the final extension of the spring 27 and the quick return of the spring 19 produce a differential motion, which is very effective in the operation upon ores having different gravities which it is desired to separate from each other.

The return-conveyer, which lies between the two tables, is a structure independent of the tables and is suspended at one end by a stirrup or hanger, as at 36, which rests upon the edges of a casing surrounding the conveyers, and at the other end by pins or rods Ct, which are slidable in the end of the casing, as shown. The conveyor thus partakes of the movements of the table; but it is relieved, so as to have a certain independent movement upon the return stroke of the table caused by its inertia, as follows: Coiled springs 8 surround the pins (1, so that the springs press against the end of the con veyer, and when the return movement of the table takes place the inertia of the conveyer compresses these springs, so that it does not partake of full instantaneous movement of the table; but when the springs expand at the end of the return movement of the table the conveyer is forced forward by a movement which is subsequent to that of'the table. At the opposite end of the casing in which the conveyer is suspended is a rubber buffer 9, against which it strikes as it completes its return movement. This action upon the conveyer, while primarily communicated by the same mechanism which moves the main tables, actually causes a reverse movement of this return-oonveyer, so that while the material upon the main tables is moving from left to right the material which has been received into this conveyer moves from right to left, the portion received from theslime-con veyer of the first table being delivered upon the left end of the second table and the portion which passes beyond the guides being received and discharged near the ends of the guides of the second table, as previously described.

In order to adjust the angle of inclination of the tables to suit varying character of ores to be separated, I have shown the tables so supported that they may be tilted and their inclination changed. Various devices may be employed for this purpose. I have here shown shafts 40, having fixed to them eccentrics 41, so disposed that when the shafts are turned the eccentrics at one end will raise that side of the table and those at the opposite end will correspondingly depress that side. The tables may rest upon or be connected with the eccentrics in any suitable manner to produce this result. In order to move the shafts and eccentrics in unison, toothed piuions 42 are fixed to the shafts, and a rack-bar 43 engages the pinions. This rackbar is slidably guided and by means of a lever it can be moved so as to simultaneously rotate the shafts and eccentrics.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an ore-separator, inclined tables having the longitudinally disposed guides, the diagonally-disposed slime-conveyers arranged with reference to the guides as shown, and an independent return-conveyor.

2. An ore-separator consisting of an inclined shaking-table having longitudinallydisposed guides terminating at points in a diagonal line across the table, a turnable separating-point pivoted upon the table beyond the guides, and a diagonally-disposed slimeconveyer having a screen surface or covering.

3. In an ore-separator, a transversely-inclined shaking-table having longitudinallyfixed guides terminatingsuccessively upon a line diagonal to the table, a turnable separating-point pivoted upon thetable near the end of the lowermost guides, a screen -covered slimc-conveyer, and a return-com'eyer which receives the pulp substantially as described.

4. In an ore-separator, a plurality of shaking-tables having longitudinally disposed parallel guides, the terminal ends of which are in a line diagonally across the table, a movable separating-point pivoted upon the table near the lowermost of said guides, a diago-nally-disposed slime-conveyor having a screen-covering,a return-conveyor into which the pulp is discharged, having a motion the reverse of that of the table, and discharging upon the upper end of the second table.

5. In an ore-separator, a plurality of tables having longitudinally-disposed parallel guides and turnable separating-points at the ends of the tables, diagonally-placed screencovered slime-conveyers, a return-conveyor intermediate of the two tables receiving from the uppermost at one end and discharging upon the lowermost at the opposite end, and mechanism by which the tables are given a longitudinal shaking movement.

6. The combination with tables having longitudinal guides, diagonally-disposed screen- 'covered slime-conveyers and a return-conveyer, of a mechanism whereby a longitudinal shaking movement is effected, said mechanism consisting of a horizontal revoluble shaft having a disk cam carried thereby, a guided shaft substantially in line with the first-named shaft and upon the end of which the cam operates whereby motion is transmitted to the table, and return-springs connected therewith.

7. A mechanism for producing a longitudinal shaking movement of an ore-separating table, consisting of a horizontal rotary shaft, a disk cam fixed to one end of said shaft and revolubletherewith, a longitudinally-guided slidable shaft, one end of which is acted upon by the cam-disk, springs surrounding said slidable shaft with plates whereby the springs are compressed by the movement of the shaft in one direction, and act to return the shaft when the cam passes it, and means including an externally-threaded sleeve surrounding the shaft, a slotted bed and a hand-wheel engaging the threads of the sleeve and working against the walls of the slot for adjusting the shaft with relation to the cam-disk so as to increase or diminish the length of the stroke.

8. In an ore-separator,transversely-inclined tables having longitudinally-disposed guides, diagonal slime-conveyors extending across the tables near the receiving ends of the guides, an independent return-conveyer suspended to receive the slinies from the couveyer of the first table, and the heavier portions from the discharge end, and to trans mit them separately to the second table.

9. In an ore-separator,transversely inclined tables with longitudinally-disposed guides, slime-conveyors arranged diagonally to the guides and an intermediate return-conveyer, and mechanism by which a gradual forward movement and a quick return movement of the tables are eifected.

10. In an ore-separator, transversely-inclined tables with longitudinallydisposed guides, diagonal slime-conveyors, an intermediate independentlysupported return-conveyer by which the slimes and the heavier sep arated material are transferred independently from the first to the second table, and a mechanism consisting of a cam by which a forward movement of the tables is effected, a returnspring, and a second spring interposed between said mechanism and the table, said spring yielding when the tables are advanced to produce a gradual forward movement without disturbing the pulp.

11. In an ore-separator, transversely-hr clined tables with longitudinallydisposed guides, diagonally-disposed slime-conveyers, an intermediate return-conveyer by which the slimes and the heavier separated materialare transferred from the first to the second table, a mechanism consisting of an advancing cam and a return-spring by which the tables and conveyer are reciprocated, asecond spring interposed between said mechanism and the tables, and compressible by the inertia of the tables during their forward movement, and a plane section of the cam just previous to the offset which allows the return movement of the tables, whereby the forward movement of the tables ceases and the second spring is allowed to expand just before the return of the tables.

12. In an ore-separator, transversely-inclined tables with longitudinallydisposed guides, diagonal slime-conveyers, an intermediate independentlysupported return-conveyer by which the slimes and heavier separated material are transferred from the first to the second table, a mechanism consisting of an advancing cam, and a return-spring by which the tables and the return-conveyer are reciprocated, and springs interposed between the return-conveyer and its support carried by the tables, said springs yielding during the return movement of the tables, and expanding after said movement is completed to produce a subsequent movement of the returnconveyer.

13. In an ore-separator, transversely-inclined tables With longitudinal guides, diagonal slime-conveyers, and a return-conveyer adapted to receive the slimes and heavier substances and transfer them separately to the second table, said conveyer being independently supported with relation to the tables, a cam and return-spring whereby the tables are reciprocated and the material advanced in one direction thereon, and other springs acting against the conveyer whereby an impulse is given it to move the material carried by it in a direction opposite to the movement of ma terial upon the tables.

14. An ore-separator consisting of transverselyinclined tables with longitudinal guides, diagonal slime-conveyors, and a return-conveyer intermediate between the two tables, and a reciprocating mechanism, in combination with a supporting device and mechanism whereby the angle of inclination of the tables may be adjusted.

15. An ore-separator consisting of transverselyinclined tables with longitudinal guides, slime-conveyors arranged diagonally to the guides, and a return-conveyer in termediate between the two tables, and a reciproeating mechanism, in combination with an adjusting device consisting of transverse shafts with eccentrics connected with the table, pinions upon the shafts, and a rack-bar engaging the pinions, whereby the shafts may be turned and the eccentrics act to change the angle of the table.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JONATHAN P. SMITH. W'itnesses: S. H. NoURsE,

JESSIE G. BRODIE. 

